Hamilton praises team: 'Best development pace of any team'

It has been a year and a half since Lewis Hamilton won his last victory in Formula 1. Since the introduction of the new regulations, Mercedes has been falling behind, especially on Red Bull. But the Mercedes driver feels no pressure on his shoulders, he revealed at the press conference ahead of the race weekend in Canada.

Spectacular race in Jeddah

The last time the Briton managed to win a race was in the penultimate Grand Prix of the season in 2021. The first ever race at the Jeddah circuit was spectacular: it turned into a battleground, with two red flags and a brilliant battle between the two championship contenders, with some controversy thrown in at times. Hamilton crossed the line first, and with that result, the 2021 season rivals advanced to the final, all-decisive race in Abu Dhabi with the same number of points.

'Feels like we did win'

By now, we know that Verstappen managed to win that last race and that Hamilton has not won a race since. Yet the seven-time world champion feels little pressure: "We've gone through a tough patch, and we're kind of, like, on that up. For example, in the last race and some of the races, it feels like we've had wins. It's just about perspective. Of course, we've not been in first place, but there have been many wins in the steps that we've taken."

Since Mercedes put the new upgrades on the car, it also seems to be doing better. Hamilton therefore praises his team: "We've got great development team, and I honestly think we've got the best development rate, as good if not better than any team in the sport, and so you’ve just got to keep chipping away."